Operation: Training

Date: 04th October 1940 (Friday)

Unit: No. 2 Flying Instructors School / 1 Signals School

Type: Oxford I / Wallace II

Serial: R5950 / K6030

Code: -

Base: RAF Cranwell, Lincolnshire

Location: Near Sleaford

Oxford Crew:

Pilot Inst: F/O. Michael Joseph Berry 40877 RAF Age 23. Killed

Pilot U/T: Sgt. Leslie Kendray 754420 RAFVR Age 20. Killed

Wallace Crew:

Pilot: Sq/Ldr. Karol Eberhardt PAF Age 40. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr U/T: LAC. James Percival Fleming 746992 RAFVR Age 26. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

During the afternoon whilst flying south-west of the airfield the Oxford starboard wing tip struck the port wing of the Wallace.

Both aircraft then went out of control and crashed near Sleaford - all four crew members were killed.

Pilots of the two aircraft, graves at Cranwell - photographs courtesy Military Historian

Burial details:

F/O. Michael Joseph Berry. Cranwell Churchyard (St. Andrew) War Graves Plot 2 Row B Grave 15. Son of Thomas and Catherine Josephine Berry. Of New Zealand. 873 Flying hours logged

Sgt. Leslie Kendray. Thornaby-On-Tees Cemetery Plot O. Row O. Grave 6. Son of Edgar and Edith Kendray, of Thornaby-on-Tees, North Yorkshire, England.

Sq/Ldr. Karol Eberhardt. Cranwell Churchyard (St. Andrew) War Graves Plot 2 Row B Grave 15. Born on the 15th July 1900 in Warsaw, Poland. Son of Karol and Zuzanna (née Dembowska) Husband of Janina (née Chełmicka) and father to daughter, Hanna.

LAC. James Percival Fleming. Whilton Churchyard (St. Andrew) Son of James and Edith Flemming, of Whilton Locks, Northamptonshire, England. Grave inscription reads: "I Heard The Voice Of Jesus Say: "Come Unto Me And Rest".

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to the research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, Auckland War Memorial Museum, Weekly News of New Zealand, other sources as quoted below: